Weddings at St John’s - Public Access > Church - Notice Board

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WEDDINGS AT ST. JOHN’S

	THE WEDDING PACKAGE		THE CEREMONY
	WHO CAN BE MARRIED AT ST. JOHN’S?		REHEARSAL
	FIRST CONTACT		CONFETTI etc.
	CELEBRANT		PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOS
	NOTICE OF INTENTION TO MARRY (NOIM FORM)		HOLD YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION AT ST JOHN’S AT THE NEWLY RENOVATED BUXTON HALL
	PREPARATION		CONTACTS

St. John’s Toorak has been a popular and desirable church for couples planning to be married since the very first bride, Mary Steavenson (after whom the Victorian town of Marysville was named) was married at St. John’s in September 1862. In addition to the outstanding beauty of the church, the central aisle, at 23.4 metres long , has provided a memorable walk to the altar for countless brides over the passage of years. St. John’s has developed a comprehensive wedding package that arises out of the long experience of the parish in hosting the marriages of all manner of people, among them many celebrities and prominent Melburnians.

Marriages at St. John's are celebrated in the breath-taking beauty of one of Melbourne's most prestigious and historic churches. You will be surrounded by a sense of beauty, awe, tradition, and history, in addition to your family and friends, as you exchange vows at St John's.

Toorak Road

Photographs from the marriage of Gerrard Woods and Melinda Straw, April 2008, by Paul Lunnie (www.paullunniephotographer.com.au)

THE WEDDING PACKAGE

Our wedding package is all inclusive and includes within the fixed fee of $1,750 everything necessary to make your ceremony a meaningful and significant one. Rather than charge a low set fee, as many others do, with further fees applied for all manner of additional services and expenses, the fixed fee applied by St. John's covers a range of professionally run and administered services both before the ceremony and during it. This takes all of the worry and hassle out of planning many aspects of your big day. The church will be decorated with flowers, pew ribbons, and candles etc. and all aspects of the cermeony taken care of for you. Included within the fixed fee are:

Use of the church for the wedding and rehearsal
Use of the church grounds afterwards
Provision of the celebrant for the wedding and a rehearsal
Provision of, and payment to, the organist
Provision of, and payment to, the verger who sets up the church, operates the sound system, and cleans up afterwards
Flowers inside the church: two large arrangements on either side of the chancel
Red carpet along the steps out the front of the church (weather permitting)
Candles down the aisle of the church
Pew bows
Completion and lodging of all documentation
Provision of, and payment to, the bellringer: the bells are rung as the bride arrives and again as the groom and bride leave the church
A professionally administered program of marriage education and preparation, run by a qualified instructor
Access to a full range of resources for compiling and personalising the wedding ceremony, and assistance in preparing the service

Couples should note that the fee is all inclusive and non-negotiable, and includes the parish obligation and commitments to its own staff. Those wishing to provide their own musician or vocalist, for instance, will still need to pay the full fee, even if the parish provided organist is not required to play at their wedding. A non-refundable deposit of $250 must be paid as soon as possible to confirm the booking, and the balance of $1,500 should be paid no less than one month prior to the date of the wedding.

The 23 metre central aisle in the renovated nave (body of the church).
Photo courtesy of Lovell Chen.

WHO CAN BE MARRIED AT ST. JOHN’S?

St. John’s has an open policy in regards to marriage - anyone desiring to be married in our church may be.
We only ask that you participate in the course of preparation run by the parish and agree to be married according to the rites of the Anglican Church of Australia.
You do not need to live in the parish area or be a member of our church or another.
You do not need to have been baptised in our church or another. St. John's is well used to conducting marriages where one or both parties to the marriage have an affiliation with Christian churches other than the Anglican Church, are from non-Christian traditions or are adherents to other religions.
Note - whilst Baptism into the Christian tradition is not a requirement for those being married at St. John's, we have had the great joy and priviledge of baptising into the Christian tradition many who have come to St. John's to be married over the years so if you have not been baptised previously, why not consider it now? See the Baptism page for more information.
If you have been previously married and are divorced this will not prevent you being married at St. John's. The re-marriage of divorced persons is possible in an Anglican Church following a suitable course of preparation - all couples being married at St. John's attend the parish run course.

FIRST CONTACT

The Marriages Act 1961 requires that at least one month’s notice be given to the proposed celebrant before the marriage takes place. Couples desiring to be married at St. John’s should contact the parish office during business hours (Ph. 98261765), or by e mail, to check that the time and date desired is available. At this point a tentative booking can be made, although this will not be confirmed until the $250 deposit has been paid. All couples being married at St. John's should take careful note of the timeline and checklist supplied on the Marriage Process page.

CELEBRANT

At most marriages at St. John’s the celebrant will be the vicar of the parish, the Revd Dr Bradly Billings. Where couples have an existing relationship with another Anglican priest who holds a license issued by the Archbishop of Melbourne, they may invite that priest to conduct their marriage, after first contacting the vicar of St. John’s to discuss their reasons for desiring this and obtaining approval to do so.
Please note that St. John’s is an Anglican church and may only be used for the purposes of Anglican worship with an Anglican priest presiding. It is not possible for the church to be "hired out" or "used" for other purposes, nor is it possible for clergy (priests, ministers or pastors) from churches other than the Anglican Church to conduct marriages at St. John’s. Ordained ministers of other Christian churches may, however, assist and participate, usually at the point of the homily (sermon) and / or prayers. Couples desiring this must contact the vicar of St. John’s to discuss this and obtain approval to do so, before inviting another minister to participate. Under no circumstances may a civil celebrant preside at, nor lead, any part of a marriage service at St. John’s.

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO MARRY (NOIM FORM)

All couples being married at St. John’s must arrange to meet with the celebrant to complete and sign a Notice of Intention to Marry (NOIM) form, which must be lodged with the celebrant at least one month prior to the wedding taking place. It is best to complete this requirement as soon as possible. Couples are asked to attend a service of worship at either 8am or 10am on any Sunday and to make themselves known to the vicar of the parish at that time (if there are special reasons preventing this couples should make arrangements to meet the vicar at another mutually convenient time). To complete the NOIM form both parties to the marriage will need to supply original birth certificates or extracts, or if one or both were born overseas, a Passport issued by a country other than Australia is acceptable. If one or both parties to the marriage have been previously married evidence of the end of the previous marriage must also be provided (this will usually be in the form of a document issued by the Family Court in the event of divorce, or a the certificate of death for the previous spouse if a widow or widower).

PREPARATION

Pre-Marriage and Relationships Skills Courses at St John’s are an educative experience designed to strengthen and grow a couple’s relationship. Research tells us that good, skills-based pre-marriage education can equip couples with the tools needed to handle the complexities of life and reduce the risk of divorce by up to 30%. Couples today face more demands and have fewer areas of support than ever before. The typical marriage – managing two careers while rearing children and running a household – requires that couples have strong, well-established skills in communication, resolving differences, setting goals and maintaining intimacy.

At St John’s, Pre-marriage and Relationships Skills Courses are run to the highest professional standards. Facilitated by a qualified and experienced educator, courses are based on current marriage research and sound ‘adult learning’ principals. In a group environment, most activities and discussion are done within the couple setting. Each course is divided into 5 sessions and includes:

Changes in society
The influence of family of origin
Effective communication skills
Resolving conflict constructively
Finances
The difference a family makes
Creating intimacy
The Marriage Order of Service

More information about Pre-marriage courses can be found here: Marriage Education

Upcoming course dates

All courses are available to couples marrying elsewhere. Please contact Gay Djumas, our Marriage Ministry Co-ordinator for more information: Contact the Marriage Ministry Coordinator

The candlelit aisle above, and below with the lights dimmed.

THE CEREMONY

The vicar of the parish attends a session of the marriage preparation program to discuss the ceremony with all couples preparing to be married at St. John’s. As part of this session couples will be provided with a CD-ROM containing the full text of the marriage ceremonies authorised for use in the Anglican Church, as well as extensive resources pertaining to each aspect of the ceremony. There will be an opportunity for all present to ask questions and to raise any concerns, as well as to seek clarity about special requests or requirements.

(i) Printed Order of Service. The resources provided by St. John’s will assist couples in preparing a printed order of service for their marriage. It is essential that a draft of this is checked by the celebrant prior to printing. This can usually be done conveniently by e mail. Couples requiring assistance in putting together an order of service may contact their celebrant for further help.

(ii) Readings. At the ceremony planning session a large number of readings from the Bible and from other sources will be provided to assist couples in making selections. A marriage service inside an Anglican church must include at least one reading from the Bible, however there may be further readings from other sources. Normally, no more than three readings are included. Couples may invite family members and / or friends to read.

(iii) Prayers. A large selection of prayers is contained on the resources CD-ROM. Couples may invite a family member or friend to lead the prayers, or the celebrant will lead the prayers. The Lord’s Prayer is usually said at the conclusion of the prayers.

For a step by step guide to the Anglican marriage ceremony, see the ceremony page.

Couples preparing a printed order of service may also make use of the template, supplied for download in Word format.

The wedding music page has general information about the use of music at the wedding ceremony. Hymn words can be supplied by email upon request.

There is also a large collection of readings from the Bible and of non-biblical poems and readings for use in the wedding ceremony, provided here to assist couples in making selections.

Signing the marriage certificates. Marriage of Bryan Wai and Wai-ee Thai, March 2009.
Photo courtesy of the couple.

REHEARSAL

The rehearsal normally takes place during the week prior to the wedding. Typically the rehearsal will take between 30 and 60 minutes. The time and date of the rehearsal is arranged in consultation with the celebrant.

CONFETTI etc.

Please ask your guests to refrain from throwing anything at the entrance of the church, as a courtesy to other weddings taking place on the same day. Biodegradable matter only (i.e. rose petals and potpourri) may be thrown in the church grounds on the south lawn (along Clendon Rd), or you may distribute bubbles which can be blown both inside and outsdie the church. Paper products (e.g. confetti) are not to be used, nor should rice be thrown as it becomes a trip hazard on paths when wet.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOS

The church has no objection to professional photographers taking photographs of the service nor to the ceremony being filmed by a videographer arranged by the couple being married. It is important that the photographer and / or videographer introduce themselves to the clergy before the service begins.

Leaving the church
Photo by Paul Lunnie,www.paullunniephotographer.com.au

The attractive grounds at St. John’s provide many photo opportunities afterwards.
Photo by Paul Lunnie,www.paullunniephotographer.com.au

HOLD YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION AT ST JOHN’S AT THE NEWLY RENOVATED BUXTON HALL

The newly renovated Buxton Memorial Hall, adjacent to the church offers a wonderful environment to hold wedding receptions for anywhere from 20 to 350 guests. Your guests do not need to drive to a new location for the reception. A short walk from the church through the picturesque gardens, The Buxton Hall offers ambience, convenience and style.

CONTACTS

Phone.
Parish office (business hours): 03-98261765

E Mail. Parish office: General Enquiries
The Revd Dr Bradly Billings, Vicar: Contact the Vicar
Ms Gay Djumas, Marriage Ministry Coordinator: Contact the Marriage Ministry Coordinator

USEFUL LINKS

The Church of England (in England) has a helpful site called Your Church Wedding covering all aspects of a church wedding including ceremony planning, written for the English context but with lots of good tips and resources.

The Oremus Bible browser has the whole of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (the version read at St. John's) online, and is useful for importing the text of bible readings.

An interesting library of readings for the wedding ceremony, categorised into different groups such as traditional, bible, poetry, literature, unusual.

A large selection of contemporary and popular music for the wedding ceremony and reception.

The Cyber Hymnal web site has the words for just about every hymn ever written and will also play the tune so you can hear the musical setting also. The site has a very good search feature that is useful for checking out the tune and words of a specific hymn you are considering, or just searching for possibilities.

The web site of Bride Magazine Australia.

The Bride to Be on line directory.